The following is a statement from Brent Edwards, Ohio Organizer for RuralOrganizing.Org:
Last week, the Biden administration announced $1.64 billion in funding for the Brent Spence Bridge, which connects Ohio and Kentucky. This much-needed project has been talked about since I was in high school. Today, President Biden joined Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY), and Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) at the bridge to tout the funding for this critically important project.
Funding for this vital corridor over the Ohio River comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed in 2021. That Infrastructure Law, historic in its size, allocated critical funding to over 350 distinct programs across more than a dozen federal departments and agencies including many rural projects.
While Republicans show up at this event, and some, like McConnell voted for it, let’s not forget that infrastructure was a joke under the previous administration. It took a Democratic President, a Democratic Senate, and a Democratic House to get it down. Democrats showed up when it was time to vote for this bill, not just to take credit for its passage.
Implementing the infrastructure law is a challenge for the Biden administration. Flawed views of rural areas, and rural people’s concerns still plague Washington D.C. policy making circles. We look forward to working with them to make sure that rural voices are centered at the heart of this transformational rebuilding agenda.
— Brent Edwards
The mission of RuralOrganizing.org is to rebuild a rural America that is empowered, thriving, and equitable. Follow us on Twitter @RuralOrganizing.
